The Frozen Hearts
by Michael Weyer
Summary: Instead of trolls, the King and Queen of Arendelle turned to the Dark One to help Anna. On Elsa's coronation day, the demand for payment will set off a chain reaction that will change Storybrooke and the Fairy Tale Kingdom a lot.
1. Chapter 1

**The Frozen Hearts**

**By Michael Weyer**

** Ideas hit you out of the blue without you expecting it. This one came to me out of the more fully-formed than other story nuggets to the point I had to get it out. So figured I'd get the first chapter out to see if more interest out there for more. I don't own either "Once Upon a Time" or "Frozen."**

* * *

**THEN**

A benefit of being absolute ruler of your land was you rarely had to worry about those annoying things like diplomacy. Sadly, people elsewhere failed to take such a message. Thus, Regina, the Queen of her kingdom, was forced to handle a party at the dismal backwater called Arendelle. Oh, it had some rustic charm but for the most part, far from the glamour Regina was used to. She'd rather let some minion handle this but decided at the last minute that opening up trade with a country so long isolationist was worth checking out herself. Annoying as that may be.

At least she was the best dressed woman here, as always. Her black and red dress flowed behind her with its cape and high collar, crown settled in her black hair, makeup impeccable as ever with blood red lips. As she sauntered about the room, she knew all eyes were on her and enjoyed how more were in fear than actual admiration. She sipped at her wine as she took in the other woman at the center of attention.

It took a lot to surprise the Queen but the realization of the magical power of Elsa was something. The girl was standing there meeting guests in an nice dark blue dress with black sleeves and a long dark cape. Regina had taken notice of how the girl kept flexing her fingers within the dark gloves she wore, as if trying to keep something in. Regina knew that reaction, she'd had it far too often in the past. She could also feel the waves of energy off Elsa, screaming out to her, raw and unfocused but incredibly strong. This young lady was still dealing with her own magic, in ways she couldn't quite control. That…was something worth investigating further.

At least this young queen had some royal bearing, which was more than could be said about her sister. Anna's perky attitude had grated Regina from the moment they met, the dark-blonde haired girl so bright and chipper that it made that damnable Snow White seem tolerable. The green dress she wore wasn't helping, nor her pining over Hans, a man who might as well have been wearing a sign proclaiming "selfish cad" yet the girl was too blind to see it.

_True love. Has there ever been a more wasteful thing in the world?_

She was watching as Anna came up to Elsa, Hans in tow, the younger girl with a big smile on her face. Regina couldn't hear all that was being said but she saw Elsa's eyes widen with shock and her jaw drop open before she screeched out "_Married?!"_

Regina smiled. Well, well, it looked like this party was getting more interesting.

Anna's smile kept up. "Well, yes, I mean…That's good, right?"

"Anna…You just met him! Literally five minutes ago!"

"More like fifteen…and actually ran into him earlier today…"

"That doesn't matter!" Elsa snapped, getting the attention of more party-goers. "You are far too young to get married!"

"It's my life!" Anna snapped. "Unlike you, I want to get out of this palace, see the world, not be locked in."

"That's not…" Elsa clenched her hands again and Regina could actually feel something building in her that she was trying to hold back. "I'm trying to protect you."

"Or control me?"

"Anna, I don't want to control you. I want what's best for you."

"And how do you know what that is?" Anna screamed back. "You haven't said two words to me since Mother and Father died! You locked yourself in that room and would never come out! I had to grow up without my sister, Elsa!"

"That was for your own good," Elsa pressed. "And so is this. Please, Anna…."

It was at that moment that the doors to the ballroom burst wide open. A blast of cold wind blew across the room as people leapt back. Sliding in as if on a trolley was a man of medium height, his skin resembling golden scales with a sharp nose and beady eyes, a mop of unruly dark hair framing his face. His hands ended in long fingernails and the dark leather suit he wore fit his skin well with a short cape about his shoulders. He stopped in place, his mouth in a huge grin that showed fanged teeth. "Sorry to interrupt," he said in a high-pitched voice. "But I thought it best to arrive now rather than later."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina scowled. "Are you following me?"

The figure let out a long cackle. "Contrary to what you think, your Majesty, the world does not revolve around you. No, I am here…" He extended a long finger toward Elsa. "For her."

The girl blinked, confused by all of this. "Wha….who are you?"

"Oh, forgive me, where are my manners?" The man let out an exaggerated bow, spreading out his arms with a flourish. "Rumplestiltskin. Or, as I might be better known…" He looked up, the smile fading. "_The Dark One_."

Except for Regina, every person in the ballroom immediately took at least three steps back. The temperature in the room seemed to plunge as terror overtook the faces of all present, even the soldiers holding back. Looking about, Rumplestiltskin giggled at the reaction. "I see my reputation has spread to here. Excellent, that saves us all a lot of time."

Elsa licked her suddenly dry lips, trying to quash her fears. _Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel._ "Why…Why are you here?"

"Fulfilling a contract, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said in a calm voice. "Ten years ago, your parents came to me for aid with a certain…issue. I fulfilled my part of the bargain. Now it's time for my payment."

"Our…our parents are dead," Anna managed to squeak out.

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "Sorry but that's enough to get out of a contract with me. I lived up to my end, time to live up to yours." With a wave of his hand, a parchment formed out thin air that he offered to Elsa. "I've taken the liberty of highlighting the important parts."

Carefully taking the parchment, Elsa scanned it over seeing the letters glowing with gold light. It took her a moment for them to sink in as she re-read to make sure she hand't made a mistake. She looked up with her jaw open. "You…you can't be serious!"

Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a man known for his sense of humor?"

"You…want me to marry you?" Elsa screeched, Anna's own jaw dropping open at that.

"Want?" Rumplestiltskin laughed wildly. "Good heavens, no, I don't want it! I've been that way before, led to a lot of pain. No, I don't want a wife but at the time of the contract, I was a bit more in the market. It doesn't matter, a deal is a deal."

Elsa shook her head hard. "There is no way I am agreeing to this!"

"And if you had anything close to a choice, that might matter. But it doesn't. I don't take well to those who break my deals, dearie. Ask her Majesty here." He flicked a finger toward Regina.

Elsa whirled on the older woman, who simply shrugged. "As much as I detest this man to my core, I have to acknowledge that you're better off putting up with whatever he wants rather than cross him."

"So, I'm supposed to marry him?!"

"For what it's worth, you have my sympathies." To her surprise, Regina realized she actually meant that. "Talk about a fate worse than death…"

"Now, now, I'm hardly the most terrible catch." Rumplestiltskin made a show of brushing at his coat. "Certainly better than this oaf." He nodded to Hans. "Who's only after your sister to enhance his own reputation."

"What?" Anna blurted.

Rumplestiltskin smirked at her. "He's the last of thirteen brothers, dearie. The only way he's going to get ahead is to marry a princess and you do qualify."

Anna looked to Hans with horror in her eyes. He swallowed and stammered. "He…I mean, it's not like…"

"Oh, let's just skip it." Rumplestiltskin waved his hand and Hans suddenly transformed into a toad. Anna yelped as she leapt back from him. "Don't worry, it wears off in an hour but perhaps the lad can learn some manners."

"Still no patience…" Regina sighed.

"Patience is a virtue, dearie, which is something neither of us has ever been accused of having experience in." He turned back to Elsa. "Now, then, where to go for our honeymoon?"

Elsa backed up. "I am not going with you."

"Dearie, please don't mistake my demeanor of a gentlemen for a kind heart," Rumplestiltskin stated, his voice colder. "I made a deal. If not for me, your dear sister here would have been in a cold grave a very long time ago."

Anna blinked in confusion. "Elsa? What is he talking about?'

Elsa was as thrown but for different reasons. "But…They told me…the trolls…" Her eyes darted back and forth to her confused sister.

Rumplestiltskin giggled. "Trolls? Really? Oh, they're good for a fun night of drinking but fixing such a wound, not to mention memory alteration? No, your parents knew it required someone of a…different caliber to handle such a task. It's thanks to me that your dear sister is alive and well, your Highness. So now…if I may use one of my least favorite but applicable sayings…it's time to pay the piper."

He extended a hand but Elsa pulled back. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" She gripped the contract and tried to tear it in half but the paper refused to budge in the slightest.

That evil giggle echoed through the ballroom once more. "Sorry, dearie, but when I say those are ironclad, I'm not talking out of my hat." He moved closer. "Let's not make this messy, dearie, neither of us wants that."

"Leave her alone!" Anna yelled as she ran forward. With a wave of his hand, Rumplestiltskin unleashed a blast of gold light that knocked her across the room and onto a table.

_"Anna!" _Elsa yelled as she thrust out her hands. From thin air, a wave of ice and snow formed to strike out at the Dark One. He leapt back as daggers of ice formed at the ground, pointing right up at him.

Gasps of shock went about the audience present. "Sorcery!" the Duke of Weston cried out. "That witch! Get her! Get-" The rest of his tirade was cut off by a bolt from Regina that literally sealed his mouth shut. "Don't. Knock. Magic users," the Evil Queen hissed out.

Elsa barely noticed Regina's action, realizing what was happening and what she'd done. She heard a moan and turned her head to see Anna trying to rise up, staring in shock at Elsa. "Elsa…how…?"

Elsa looked around the room at the expressions of the people, her people, now staring at her in horror and fear. She ran forward, a trail of ice following as she burst out the doors. The people gathered there erupted into cheers and applause for their new Queen but Elsa was too busy fighting her fear to notice. She stumbled down the steps, running into the fountain in the courtyard, her hands touching it. The cheers turned into yells as the water froze solid into an ice sculpture, the same ice flowing around the area. Snow began to fall as Elsa ran past the onlookers and down the stairs leading to the water.

"Elsa! Elsa!" Anna yelled as she ran after her sister. Regina watched them go as she looked up to see the increasing snow falling and noted the sudden icy chill cutting through the air. She bundled her arms around her as she glanced to Rumplestiltskin. "Looks like you're out a bride."

He shrugged. "For the best, I suppose. Dowries are such a bore to deal with."

Regina smiled. "So it seems it was worth turning out for this. I finally got to see you fail to get a contract concluded."

Rumplestiltskin turned to her and his lips pulled into that twisted grin that she knew well. "My dear Majesty…I got _exactly _what I wanted."

He vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Regina's head slowly turned as she peered through the snow at the figure running across a newly icing lake. And she felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the growing chill in the air.

* * *

**NOW**

Today was not what Emma Swan had expected getting up this morning.

She had been preparing to leave Storybrooke, to take her son and go and try to live a good life at last. She hadn't expected Henry to fall into a coma. To realize that his tales of everyone in town being fairy tale characters under a curse was real. That magic was real. That Mayor Mills was the Evil Queen of legend. She hadn't expected to fight a dragon (a freaking _dragon_) to try and save the day only to get double-crossed by Rumplestiltskin, of all people.

Emma hadn't expected her kiss goodbye to her son to be the act of true love to break this curse. One wave of magic, followed by a strange purple cloud later and Emma was now handling the fact her parents were Prince Charming and Snow White. Having them be the same age she was physically was something else to take in altogether.

Now, here she was with her parents, a few of the Seven Dwarves (who were all normal-sized) and others trying to stop a mob out to string Regina up from the nearest tree. Heaven knew there were plenty of times in the last year Emma had wanted to do the same thing but she was the sheriff (and that was still strange as hell to think of), she had to try and maintain order.

"Look!" she called out, holding up her hands. "I get it! You're upset, you're angry but you can't just kill her in cold blood!'

"I'm certain half of them want to burn me first…"

"Not helping, Regina," Emma bit at her. The Mayor appeared cocky as ever, despite the fact her attempt to use magic had failed miserably. Maybe when someone was a supreme ruler for decades, they just assumed nothing bad could ever happen to them which Emma found idiotic for such a smart woman.

She cleared her throat as she addressed the mob. "Again, I get you're all pissed as hell but killing her isn't going to help things. This is not your…kingdom anymore. In this world, we do have some laws and we're going to play by them!"

Dr. Whale glared hard at Emma. "What she did to us is beyond any law of this world."

"Yeah?" Emma put a hand to the gun at her hip. "Well, murder is still murder, however you slice it with justice. I don't want this to get any messier than it already is so maybe it's time you all calmed down…"

She stopped as something wet hit her face. She blinked as another drop fell and another. At first, she thought it was rain but…no, it was something else. Emma looked up and blinked in confusion at the flakes of snow that began falling from the previously clear spring sky.

She automatically glanced at Regina but the mayor appeared as baffled as she was. A chill wind cut through the area, the mob's anger giving way to the sudden cold. Eyes and heads began to turn to face the figure striding forward down the sidewalk.

It was a young woman in her early twenties but seemed far older from her posture. She was clad in a lovely blue and white outfit, her hair blonde to the point of being white and cut short to her shoulders. Her hands were flexing as she walked on, every step of her heels forming a small patch of ice on the pavement.

"Ellen?" Emma frowned, staring at the young woman marching forward. She had met the proprietor of the local dress shop numerous times but saw none of Ellen's usual flighty tone and appearance here. Instead, she saw pools of ice in the other woman's eyes that stared daggers at Regina.

For her part, the mayor looked afraid for the first time Emma could remember, backing up toward her home. Ellen suddenly waved a hand and solid clumps of ice formed around Regina's feet, locking her to the front steps of her home. Regina struggled but was unable to move from the cold grip as she gazed at the eyes of the woman heading toward her.

_Gold, you son of a bitch._

Ellen…or rather, Elsa…glared hard before biting out her words. "Usually, I despise clichés. You know that full well. But in this case, I'm going to indulge." She raised a hand as whispers of ice and snow formed around her fingers. "Revenge is a dish best served cold. And it's dinner time."

* * *

**So, interest in continuing? Be sure to let me know via comments of more of how well Regina and Elsa know each other in both worlds. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Frozen Hearts**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

**THEN**

The wisps of purple smoke faded as Regina sauntered into her throne room, her every step billowing her cape outward. She grabbed an apple from a waiting bowl to bite into her, her face musing deeply.

_"A fun party?" _Regina turned to the wall where the face of the Mirror came to shimmer in the glass. His bearded face took her in with a glimmer of that past attraction but mostly all business.

"Started slow but became quite intriguing," Regina noted. She looked out the nearby window, tapping her chin. "Snow White may be a rather annoying pain in my side. But this other girl of snow…now that is something."

_"You're referring to Elsa?" _As Regina turned to him, the Mirror gave the equivalent of a shrug. "_It's why I'm here, to see all and record all. Not like I have many other options…"_

"Show me," Regina commanded. The Mirror's face shimmered as another image appeared of Elsa atop a snowy mountain, her mouth moving. "What is it with them and the singing, honestly?" Regina muttered. Her eyes widened as she saw Elsa moving her hands and a massive palace of ice forming out of nothing to rest atop the mountain. Regina sucked in her breath in a rare show of surprise. "Now that…is power."

The Mirror's face returned with a deep frown. _"I can hear the gears turning in that spider's web you call a brain. What are you planning?"_

Regina tapped a red fingernail to her chin. "Maybe it's time I took this girl under my wing."

_"Which is a less pleasant option than being taken under that of a dragon."_

Regina ignored him, focusing on the image of Elsa stepping onto the balcony of her new palace, her dress changing into an elegant white gown. Her lips turned upward as her mind whirled with the possibilities this powerful young woman could bring to her own plans.

* * *

**NOW**

Emma had her gun out by pure instinct. "Back up!" she yelled. "Lower…your hands!" She knew it was a stupid-sounding request as soon as she said it but she'd never had any formal police training at all. Even if she did, somehow Emma doubted that dealing with a woman able to freeze things with a wave of her hand wasn't covered in any academy.

Ellen just ignored her, coming closer. People were stepping back, less out of fear and more by the sheer waves of cold air coming off the woman. Emma could actually see vapor forming where she walked, as if she gave off her own private ice field. Her eyes were hard and cold as ice as she focused on Regina, who was fighting in vain to free her feet. "One chance," Elsa snapped. "Just one, so make the use of it. Where's Anna?"

Regina blinked. "Who?"

Ellen waved her hand again and the ice crept up Regina's ankles to her knees. The Queen gasped in pain as Elsa moved in. "My sister! Where is she?"

"How would I know?"

"Because this entire town has been your warped game for nearly three decades! You know everyone, you know where they are, who they turned into! I know I haven't seen her around, I'd know it, remember it now. So where."

She waved to cover Regina's left hand in ice.

"Is."

Regina's right hand followed.

"My. Sister?!"

Regina gasped through the pain and cold. "I…don't…know."

Elsa was right up to her now, reaching toward Regina's chest. "You tore my heart apart," she hissed. "Maybe I should freeze yours in return."

A gunshot ripped through the air, causing everyone to jump. To many, the sound was as foreign as could be imaginable, eyes turning toward Emma. She lowered her gun at Elsa, keeping herself calm. "Listen, Ellen…"

"My name is Elsa."

"Fine, Elsa. Look, I get it, you're pissed. But killing Regina is not the answer."

"Right now, it looks like a damn good guess."

Emma clicked her bullet again. "I don't know your deal or your powers…But can you stand up to a bullet?" At the look on Elsa's face, Emma let out a sigh of relief that the answer appeared to be no. "Okay…so let's just calm down, de-ice Regina and we all talk about this like civilized people."

Elsa just glared before slowly backing up. She waved her hand again and the ice vanished from Regina, the woman stumbling as she brought her hands together to rub them vigorously. Emma lowered her gun as she moved in. "Now, I'm taking Regina to the station, she'll be safe there."

"I am not going to be locked up, Ms. Swan," Regina snapped.

Emma leaned in, her voice low. "Regina…it's because of Henry that I am not joining in this little lynch mob. You agree to what I say or I let this woman turn you into a popsicle."

Regina glared back. "Ms. Swan…Elsa should not have her powers. Not like this. That cloud…that was not my doing."

"Then who the hell…" Emma closed her eyes. "Don't tell me…"

* * *

At the sound of the bell over the door, Gold looked up, his face returning to its usual dry smirk. He simply raised an eyebrow as he saw Emma, Snow, Charming, Regina and Elsa storm into the shop, all glaring at him. "Well, looks like someone made it out all right. What can I do for you?"

"One reason not to break your nose right now," Emma snapped.

"Why so serious?"

"You double-crossed Emma and took the potion from her," Snow stated.

"You risked Henry's life," Regina added.

"Not to mention that cloud of purple smoke that just rolled through," Emma finished.

"Well, that's quite a litany of grievances now, isn't it?" Gold moved behind his counter, leaning on his cane as he limped forward. "Let me ask some questions of my own. Did little Henry survive? Is the curse broken? Have you found your dear parents, Ms. Swan?" He shrugged. "Seems I deserve a thank you."

"Don't even try to spin this, you toad," Regina snapped. "What was that cloud of magic you brought in? Why did you do it?"

"Sorry, that'd be telling."

Elsa pushed past them all to glare at Gold. "And me? Why did you give me back my magic?"

"Ah, now that, I will admit, was an unforeseen turn." Gold leaned on his cane. "But not a totally surprising one in retrospect. Your magic, my dear, is a primal one. One ingrained in you since birth. Something like that simply doesn't go away. Oh, it was muted by the curse but all it took was a spark to set it off again."

"Spark?" Regina snorted. "That was a forest fire." She shook her head. "You couldn't even wait five minutes before bringing magic back? And you call me needy and selfish."

Gold's smile thinned. "Interesting how you act high and mighty, your Majesty. I would be far less concerned about my actions and more concerned over what's coming after you."

Regina frowned. "What?"

In a move faster than anyone expected, Gold pulled a medallion out of his pocket and pressed it hard onto Regina's hand. She gasped in pain before leaping back, holding her hand. She stared at the wisps of smoke and at the mark on her palm. "Is that.."

"Yes, dearie," Gold grinned. "The one thing no one can escape. Destiny. And I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant."

Regina pulled back as a tremble went up around them. "What the hell is that?" David gasped.

"Don't worry, it's just here for the Queen," Gold said as if it was no consequence. "My little gift to you."

Elsa glared. "I know all about your gifts, Rumple. What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

Regina whirled as the skies outside became dark without warning. Sparks showered from street lamps as a howl ripped through the air. "Oh my God," David moaned. "Is that…A Wraith?"

"A what?" Emma blurted.

"Soul sucker," David intoned. "It goes after whoever has been marked." He nodded to Regina's hand. "Which means she's the only one in danger."

"David!" Snow gasped at him.

"Quite the example you're setting for your daughter there," Regina stated.

Emma glared at her father. "I made a promise to Henry. She's not dying."

"Not until she tells me where Anna is," Elsa added.

"And what makes you think dear sister is here?"

At Gold's voice, Elsa whirled around. "What do you know?" she hissed.

Gold raised an eyebrow. "I don't know where she is now. But if she's not in this town then it stands to reason she wasn't there when the Curse kicked in."

"Why? Where was she?"

Gold smiled. "That is the question, isn't it?"

Elsa was clenching her fist into ice when Emma pulled her back. "We can deal with him later," she said. "Right now, we have to stop whatever that is."

"We can't kill it," Regina said as they exited onto the street. "Fire can drive it back but it won't stop until it gets its target."

"So what options do we get?" Emma demanded.

"We can't destroy it…" Regina pursed her lips in thought. "But we could find a way to send it away."

"How?"

Regina looked to her. "Jefferson."

"Jefferson?" Emma frowned. "That nutcase who kidnapped Mary Margaret and me? What does…" She stopped, her eyes widening. "No…You're telling me he really is…"

Regina nodded. "The Mad Hatter. And that hat is just what we need to get rid of that thing."

* * *

As they made their way through the town, Emma glanced over at Elsa. "So….Um…who are you?"

Elsa was quiet for a moment. "I guess the closest approximation you might know is…the Snow Queen."

Emma frowned. "Not one I'm up on."

"That's okay. You're going to find quite a few of our histories aren't the way they're portrayed." She held up a hand, letting Emma see the wisps of vapor at her fingers. "I was born with this. I don't know how or why but that's how it was. As a child, I loved it. Me and my sister, Anna, we'd play in the palace while I'd create snowfalls and ice for us to use." Her face darkened. "But one night…She slipped and fell, hurt her head badly. Our parents, the king and queen, they took her to be healed. They told me that the trolls did it, they adjusted her memories to forget my magic. The guilt of it however…it stayed for so long while I cut myself off into my room."

Emma's eyes widened. "Wait…you were locked up?"

"By my choice," Elsa quickly said. "I had to learn to harness my powers, to control them. I had to ignore my sister begging to see me. I had to…stay away when our parents died." A mist came to her eyes. "I couldn't even hug her for comfort. I had to conceal, not feel. That's what my father said."

"Your father was an idiot."

Elsa whirled on her and Emma remembered she'd just insulted someone who could turn her into ice. "Hey, I'm sorry," she quickly said, raising up her hands. "But come on. I've had experience bottling up emotions and cutting yourself off and…it's not exactly the stuff for a healthy lifestyle. I mean, maybe if I wasn't so suspicious of the world, I might have realized earlier the curse was true and helped a lot."

"Maybe," Elsa allowed. Her eyes were glaring at Regina, who walked ahead of them. "But I learned a long time ago that trusting someone just leads to a lot of pain."

Not for the first time, Emma wondered if there was anyone in this town Regina _hadn't _screwed over at some point or another. They were soon inside the town hall, Regina leading them to the courthouse. She reached into her coat to pull out a felt top hat, balancing it carefully as she laid it onto the floor.

"What are you planning?" Emma asked.

"I'm opening up a portal back to the home world," Regina explained. "We get the Wraith in there and it's handled."

"I thought our world was gone," Snow pressed.

Regina shrugged. "Then it's basically oblivion for that thing." She placed it onto the ground and slowly began to spin it around.

David had managed to bring some torches, lighting them up. "Wraiths are affected by light," he explained. He offered one to Elsa who just gave him an expression of "are you kidding me?" Chagrined, David took the torch back.

A rumble echoed that shook the entire building. "Regina," David called out. "I think you need to work faster!"

Emma had her gun out, even though she knew it wasn't going to do much good. With a blast of wind, the doors blew open and the Wraith flew in. It was a black shadow resembling a hooded figure but giving off a wave of sheer hate and darkness. As soon as it entered, David thrust up the torch to drive it back. Snow also did her best as the Wraith flew about. "Regina!" David yelled.

"I'm trying!" she snapped. "Magic works differently here!"

Emma moved to grab her hand and suddenly, the top hat began to spin around on its own. It began to grow in size, purple fog flowing from it. Soon, the hat turned into a vortex, wind whipping across the room to pull at everyone, including the Wraith. It broke away from David to fly right at Regina. Instinctively, despite everything, Emma found herself moving to defend the other woman. The Wraith lunged forward and Regina pulled Emma down. The Wraith flew over them, turning only to be caught in the pull of the vortex. It tried to fight against it but the power of the portal yanked at it.

With one final lunge, the Wraith's arm wrapped around Regina's ankle, yanking her back. She cried out as she fell backward and Emma grabbed her. Elsa moved over to take Emma's hand, trying to pull them both back. With a howl, the Wraith yanked again as it was pulled into the portal, all three women taken off-balance and in a bizarre chain, fell into the vortex.

Snow White's scream was almost louder than the howl of the vortex winds. She was racing forward but David managed to grab her and pull her back. With a sudden flash, the vortex vanished, Snow breaking away to pound at the floor.

"No," she groaned. "No, no, we just found her again, we can't lose her!"

"We'll find her," David embraced his wife tightly. "We'll find her, no matter where she went."

"Regina said it was oblivion."

"And since when are we taking her word on anything?" He lifted her up as he looked Snow in the eye. "We are getting her back. I promise."

Snow embraced him, trying to keep to her wits while also frantic to just where her daughter, her long-time foe and that mysterious ice queen had vanished to.

* * *

**So as you can see, already a few changes to things. Next chapter shows more of the past between Regina and Elsa as well as laying clues to Anna's fate. **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Frozen Hearts**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

**THEN**

It was quiet. It was cold. It was comforting.

That was Elsa's feelings as she walked about the main chamber of the palace she had created. Light flashed about the icy walls, reflections giving it a wonderful glow. Elsa's fingers slid over a table, letting the edges curl into a nice sculpted design. She nodded as she walked about, her white gown trailing on the ground. She felt so…free, so open, more than in years. All that time of hiding herself away, the fear of letting herself know. None of it mattered now, it was a giant weight lifted off her and she was loving it.

She felt a pang for Anna but brushed it aside. She was better off without Elsa around. She could be the queen their people needed, not a…freak. No, Anna would be better off and Elsa was better off here. Completely by herself.

"I love what you've done with the place."

Elsa whirled around as a cloud of purple smoke formed before her. It faded to show a gorgeous brunette woman in a tight black dress with flowing red cape. Elsa frowned as she recognized her. "You're…Queen Regina."

"You remember." The woman paced about. "Good to know."

Elsa stared at her. "How did you get here?"

"The same way you created all this." Regina extended her arms. "Magic." She snapped her fingers to pull a chair out for her to sit in. She waved a hand to allow a blanket to appear on it before sitting. "Not going to offer refreshment? Or have you not gotten around to thinking how you're going to eat?"

Elsa brushed aside the realization she hadn't considered that to cross her arms. "Why are you here?"

"You," Regina answered as if it was obvious. "You, my child, are quite the interesting person. All that power, so much in you and yet so little control over it. You managed enough skill to create this palace and yet still so raw." She tapped a finger to her ruby lips. "If you could harness it properly, the possibilities of your power are…endless."

"Why?" Elsa asked. "Why would you care?"

Regina shrugged. "Someone taught me. I feel like passing it along. You do need to properly learn, my dear. Right now, you're going on instinct but that's not enough. Harness this properly…and you need not fear anyone ever again."

Elsa bit her lip as she looked at her hand. She'd been comfortable here, alone. But part of her said Regina was right. To stay here without truly understanding her powers wasn't the best move. She'd never had anyone to teach her anything before. Maybe…maybe this was just what she needed. "Okay…where do we start?"

Regina's smile was bright and clear and had Elsa been anyone else, she would have felt a greater chill at the sight.

* * *

**NOW**

"I still say we should leave them be."

"We can't just leave them here."

"What if they're dangerous?"

"Then we really can't leave them be."

"We could always…"

"Unlike you, I don't kill in cold blood!"

"You know I'm not really a lizard, right?"

The sound of the two female voices slowly roused Emma from unconsciousness. She tried to rub at her head but she couldn't move her arms. Opening her eyes, she realized she was lying on the ground in some sort of forest of…mushrooms?

She blinked before realizing that yes, those were mushrooms the size of small trees surrounding her. She sat up, wincing as she felt the ropes tied around her. She looked over to see Regina slowly coming awake as Elsa lay between them, both bound just as Emma was. Emma looked up to see two other women looking at them. One appeared to be young, barely 20, dressed in a light pink dress with a darker leather jerkin over it and a sword in a scabbard on her back, her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. Her companion seemed about the same age, black hair falling to her nape and dressed in brown leather with green patches about it, dark boots and a long coat with a cap atop her head.

"What the hell?" Regina groaned as she sat up. "Who are you two?" she immediately demanded.

The blonde girl removed the sword from her back and held it ready. "We'll be asking the questions," she said in a clipped British accent. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

"Right now, we don't even know where here is," Emma snapped as Elsa began to wake up. "Listen, I'm Emma Swan, this is Regina, that's Elsa. We…well, we sort of…fell through a portal here."

Instead of obvious doubts, the two other women seemed just suspicious. "A portal?" the blonde girl asked. "From where?"

"Storybrooke, ever heard of it?"

"No," the blonde answered. "But passages to Earth are quite rare and mostly protected."

"It wasn't intentional." Emma looked to Regina. "You said this was going to be a wasteland!"

"I thought it was!" Regina snapped back. "After the Curse, the Fairytale Kingdom should have been wiped out!"

"This is Wonderland," the dark-haired woman said.

Emma stared at her before scoffing. "Wonderland? As in Alice?"

The blonde immediately moved her sword right in front of Emma's face. "How do you know my name?" she hissed out.

Emma just blinked. "Seriously? You're…Alice? In Wonderland?"

"Yes," the girl bit out.

"Hi," the other girl said, waving a gloved hand. "I'm Liz but people call me Lizard."

Emma was shaking that off as she looked to Regina. "I thought that portal was going back to your home."

"It was," the Evil Queen answered, confused. "I don't see how…" She stopped and looked to Elsa. "Of course. You."

"What?" the younger woman asked with a frown.

"Your magic entering the portal threw us off completely! You sent us here!"

Elsa just stared at her. "Are you serious? Are you so utterly delusional that you blame absolutely everyone else for what happens?"

"Only when it's their fault!"

"Will you two shut up!" Emma hissed. "And for the record, Regina, you do share a lot of blame for all this!"

"Oh, really, Ms. Swan? You think me to blame for us being here? Gold was the one who marked me for the wraith!"

"After you cursed the damn town!"

"Hey!" The three women looked up to see Alice pointing her sword at them. "Right now, all of you are going to answer me as to what you're doing here and what connection you have to the Red Queen."

"The Red Queen?" Regina frowned. "She's dead."

"She's not."

"She is. I buried her myself."

"Ah, I think you're thinking of the Queen of Hearts," Liz piped up. "This is the Red Queen, totally different."

Emma looked to Regina. "Wait, you've been to Wonderland?"

"Not quite," Regina answered her. "I just have…connections here."

"Did the Red Queen send you?" Alice demanded. "Or Jafar?"

"Jafar?" Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh for…you're telling me we have Aladdin in this too?"

Alice moved forward, sword raised. "I will not ask again…"

"Oh to hell with this." Elsa concentrated and with a whisp of white, the ropes about her hands froze solid. She fell back to shatter them and rolled to her feet, waving her hands to freeze Alice and Lizard's feet to the ground. Both yelled and tried to escape but Elsa quickly moved to take away Alice's sword. She began to cut at Emma's bonds, the bounty hunter nodding in gratitude as she rubbed her wrists.

"Hey!" Regina called out. "How about me?"

Elsa glared at her but Emma sighed. "I don't like it either, Elsa. But we do need her."

"She can rot for all I care."

"Okay, she screwed you over with the curse…"

"It was more than that," Elsa snapped. "She…" She shook her head. "I won't forgive her for what she did to me."

"Maybe," Emma allowed. "But we still need her help to figure this out." Elsa looked at her but then reluctantly cut Regina's bonds, allowing her to stand up.

Emma turned to Alice and Lizard. "Listen up. I don't know who you two are or what you're doing here. But we're not the bad guys." She paused. "Well, okay, me and Elsa aren't. We just landed here, we need to find a way to get back home. We don't want to hurt you, we're not enemies so if we let you go, can we just talk this calmly?"

Alice and Lizard exchanged looks and a slow nod. "Okay, Elsa, let them go."

The blonde girl frowned but nonetheless waved her hands to melt the ice around the two women, letting them stumble free. Emma took the sword from Elsa and handed it over to Alice. The girl yanked it away, staring before slowly placing it back into the scabbard on her back.

"Okay," Emma began in a calm voice. "Now to start again. We came from a place called Storybrooke, we were sucked through a portal here. For the record, what I know of Wonderland comes from a story written like a century ago about a girl named Alice who journeyed here." Alice was thrown at that as Emma went on. "Right now, we just need to find some way back to our home. You know anything like that?"

Alice and Lizard exchanged looks. "I do believe them," Lizard said. "I know liars pretty well, they're telling the truth."

Alice pursed her lips before sighing. "All right. Maybe we can help each other. I'm looking for a friend of mine, the Knave. He's been captured by the Queen. If anyone knows a way to a portal to your home, it would be her."

Emma nodded. "Fine. We're partners for now."

Regina leaned in to whisper. "I don't trust them…"

"You're not a shining judge of character here," Elsa snapped.

Alice moved to Emma. "If you turn on us…"

"We need each other," Emma stated. "So how about we work our issues out on the road?"

Alice nodded and looked to Lizard. "Lead on." The thief smiled as she began to lead this odd group toward a road and Emma had to wonder once more how her life turned out so bizarre.

* * *

Ruby set down the tray of steaming mugs before the occupants of the table. "Granny still makes a great cocoa," she smiled, clad in a slightly more demure version of her usual outfit, longer pants and a red vest over her white shirt. "Always a help."

David nodded as he took the cup to sip it. Mary Margaret was looking at the table stunned while Henry was also quiet. "We'll get them back," David said. "Gold has to know a way."

"You think he'll help us?" Mary Margaret asked. "He's the reason they're gone in the first place!"

"There's a way," David pressed.

"He's right," Henry said. "My mom doesn't give up or Regina. I'd know if something bad were happening to them."

Mary Margaret sighed. "We still don't have a way to get at them. If the Homeworld is gone like she said it was, they could be in a wasteland."

_"Hey!" _

The three were jarred a bit at the sudden voice echoing across the table. They looked around as it called again. _"Here!" _David looked down at the tray on the table and saw a shimmering face in the glass. He brushed aside a napkin to stare at a familiar face. "Holy…Sidney, is that you?"

The figure of the man they'd known as editor of the newspaper nodded. Henry broke into a smile. "Of course! You're the Magic Mirror!"

_"When that cloud hit the asylum, I found myself bouncing around every reflective surface in town," _Sidney sadly stated. _"Took a while to get it together enough to contact you."_

Mary Margaret was trying to understand this. "Do you know…where they are?"

_"Not in the homelands. No, something went wrong with the spell. From what I gather, they landed in…Wonderland."_

Henry's eyes went wide. "Wonderland? That's real too?"

_"It is," _Sidney confirmed. _"Getting there is tough though. Unless you happen to know a talking rabbit or someone else who can open up portals."_

"We'll find a way," David insisted.

Sidney's face grew grave. _"The problem is…there's something else in Wonderland you have to worry about. A power I know all too well. The power of genies."_

"How do you know?" Mary Margaret asked.

Sidney smiled softly. _"I wasn't always a mirror. I was a genie, freed by your father before Regina manipulated me into this state. I still feel their power and there's at least one in Wonderland, perhaps more." _The smile faded. _"But also someone else. Someone after that power, an evil sorcerer of great ability. Should he gain the power of a genie, he can grow stronger than even Regina and that's not something we want."_

David tapped his fingers on the table, trying to think this over. "We need Gold. He's the only one who can help us."

Mary Margaret looked to the reflection. "Can you contact them?"

_"Watching another world is one thing, entering it something else. I can try but can't promise anything."_

"Try," David pressed. He looked to his wife, seeing the familiar spark return to her eye. "We're getting our daughter back no matter what it takes."

The reflection sighed deeply. _"As someone who knows first-hand how badly wishes can turn out, Prince…Be very careful with talking of how far you can go."_

* * *

Will Scarlett was used to jails. It came with the territory as a thief, after all. He didn't like them but it was hardly the first time he was stuck in a cell. He paced about in his dark pants and leather jacket, brushing his short hair, trying to keep calm. Panicking was never a good plan in these situations and he needed to maintain his calm if he was going to figure out an escape. Of course, at the moment, such options were beyond him as he'd looked the place over carefully and seen no possibility of how to get out of here.

He leaned on the cell bars, sighing deep. He'd known it was a risk coming back to Wonderland but thought it was worth it. He still owed Alice and dammit, heart or no heart, Will still had a streak of honor left him in to pay that debt off. But being around…her again was harder than he thought. To see the woman he'd once loved turned into a Red Queen who was so damn cold…well, it made Will remember why he'd given away his heart in the first place.

His musings were interrupted by a chipping sound behind him. He turned, frowning as he listened, hearing the taps growing louder. Dust began to shake by the wall, then rocks started to give way. Will backed up as a section of the wall fell inward, spreading out enough to show a large hole. He briefly wondered if Rabbit had decided to help out but it seemed different than his usual holes.

Emerging from the opening was a figure who was definitely not a rabbit. He was a tall and handsome man with rough black hair and a scruffy beard. He stood up on leather boots, brushing at his outfit, a long coat over a black vest and red shirt open at the top to show some of his strong chest and a medallion. He slapped his hands at himself to brush away the dust and allow Will to see that instead of a hand, his left arm ended in a silver hook.

The stranger blinked at Will before looking around. "Oh, hello there. Sorry, must have miscalculated, was trying to reach the outer wall. Better used to navigating the seas than on the ground."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" the Knave demanded.

"Killian Jones," the other man introduced himself. "And you?"

Will paused before shrugging. "Call me Knave. Or Will Scarlett if you want."

"Pleasure to meet you," Jones stated. "Don't suppose you might know of any other prisoners around here?"

"Just me here," Will answered. "But pretty sure the Queen has someone else locked up in another spot."

"Right," Jones mused. "Never trust twins to give proper directions." He moved back to the hole. "Sorry to bother you, mate, I'll be on my way then."

"Wait!" Will called out. "I need out of here!"

"You can take this out," Jones mused, looking back with a smile. "I can sense a fellow pirate when I see one so I'll throw a bone to a kindred spirit. But, got my own problems right now, a partner who's intent on pushing her secret plans, a crocodile to hunt and right now, I need to find one of my crew."

"I can help," Will offered. "I know how the Red Queen thinks, where this friend of yours might be."

Jones thought for a moment before nodding. "Why not? More the merrier can be an aid." He moved to the hole. "Let's get on it then, Will."

"Who is this guy anyhow?" Will asked as they moved to the hole.

"Not a he, mate," Jones answered as they began to crawl out of the cell. "A good sailor and a loyal member of my crew, not to mention a friend." He ducked to star his way out. "Her name is Anna."

* * *

**As you can see, a few things changed from the show as did like the Wonderland spin-off and a few more twists to come regarding Cora's plans, Hook and Knave and of course just where Anna is. All comments welcomed. **


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